


The Princess Hypnotized The Dragon

by Chikaneclaes



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chikaneclaes/pseuds/Chikaneclaes
Summary: On this day, the Princess arrives at the Dragon’s castle. But she has a secret deep in her heart.
Relationships: Evie/Mal (Disney)
Kudos: 31





	The Princess Hypnotized The Dragon

“Mal, it appears the princess is invading.”

It was Jay one of my friends approaching me while I sat on my throne, but he did so calmly and without a hint of panic.

I rub my eyes and think that it’s been a while since I’ve heard that.

“When was the last time the Princess came?”  
“Probably the last time the moon was half-blue?”

Oh, it’s been so long.

Well, I’m not going to just let this transgression slide.

We’ve gone through this many times before yet I’ve never once had a decent fight.

“Let the princess through.”

“Mal Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

Oh, I remembered this princess.

This Princess did not last long during our battles.

This Princess’s magical abilities were significant, but nothing compared to the Royals of the past.  
“Understood.”

The clarification wasn’t because my friend was wondering, “Is it alright to let such a dangerous enemy through?”.

It was to ask, “Are you certain you wish to bother with the princess?”

That is the state of this newest princess… a weakling.

And I should also mention, she was a woman this incarnation.

The answer is because it’s the Dragon’s duty is to fight the Royals.  
“I will stop you, for I am the Princess Evelyn!”

Ah, I remember hearing this line many times before.

When she came before me for the first time, she said those exact words.

She hasn’t changed since then.

However, she doesn’t seem to have one of the strengths of the short-lived humans: their overwhelming growth rate.

Was she truly a Royal?

She seemed to just be a poor girl, misfortunate enough to be chosen to receive the Protection of the Kingdom, kept from dying until she fulfilled her destiny.

“Don’t think this will go the same way as before.”  
I’ve heard that many times as well.

It looked like her equipment was in poor shape and her magical capability was shockingly low.

She was so weak that I was impressed she even reached this deep into my castle.

Is she the worst Princess to have ever come before me?

Her eyes speak of a dark and heavy past, but her face still looks young and pretty.

Her blue hair is darkened by oil and dirt. I continued to sit on my throne and gazed at the woman holding her sword out to me, before I had a realization.

It seemed I was not yet fully alert.

“You, what happened to the Protection of the Kingdom?”  
“…”

The woman is silent at my words.

Why was this princess’s magic so weak, even if it that was their only advantage?

Which means that:

“A new prince o princess has been born.”

The princess is silent at my words.

The fate of becoming “the one who would defeat the Dragon” only ever rests in the body of one human.

In other words, her time in this world was limited.

A Princess or prince who has lost the Protection of the Kingdom will never come back to life.

That is why they come here without expecting to return.  
“… Do you mean to insult me? You must have a secret up your sleeve.”

I wonder if she came here to die, no matter what.

At least she would be killed by my hand rather than my minions’ hands.Oh, how many times has that happened before?

“… Fine, come to me.”

This is the duty of the Dragon protect all creatures from darkness.

If she wishes to die by my hand, why shouldn’t I oblige her?

Her sword hand wavers, she no longer looks like the Princess who would defeat the Dragon.

But there is a light in her eyes.

For a short-lived human, her determination in the face of doom is quite beautiful.

At the very least, it will take only one strike.  
Until then, why don’t I keep silent and let her come to me?

It seemed the Princess thought she was invincible, a very human sentiment.

Then as she comes right before me, she throws away her power.

“Take this!”

The Hero’s wrists glowed a faint blue, she swayed them in front of her arms.

I looked at them warily, until the light wavered, faltered and eventually… disappeared.

“Phew…”

…?

The Hero looks like she just did something, wiped the sweat off her brow, and smiled for the first time.

What has she done? No, it does not feel than anything has changed in my body.  
Even as she approaches me, completely defenseless, nothing has changed except the decrease in her magic stores.

Did she use a secret technique?

The power difference between me and the current generation of Royals is so vast that it is impossible. However, these short-lived humans have a habit of making it possible still.

My eyes light up with magic as I activate my “Dragon’s Gaze”.

“It worked, right?” she mumbles quietly.

She came right up to me, still completely open to attack.

It worked…?

The Princess crouched and looked right into my face, certain that no harm would come to her.  
I unintentionally dispelled the magic power in my eyes. If the woman looked straight into them, she would have surely died.

“… Seeing up close like this, you’re very beautiful.”

“…?”

What is she talking about?

I know I’ve been complimented as the cutest and most beautiful of all the Dragons. I have never particularly cared about such comments based on my appearance.

The Princess continues to stare right into my eyes, the Dragon’s eyes, a look of relief comes over her face.

“Haah… after a year of learning how to use it, I’m glad ‘Hypnosis’ worked…”

It has not.

More so, I’ve never heard of that technique. I’m certain I can use all the magic that has ever existed in this world, but that sort of technique is outside my repertoire.

This princess has been fooled.  
She continues to speak with a completely relaxed expression.

“… Your right hand, raise it?”

What is she talking about? At the same time, I understood what was going on.

That movement while she channeled magic. The idiocy of approaching the Dragon so carelessly and impulsively. And now her command.

“Well…?”

It appears the princess that is still standing right before me believes she can control my body with but a single word.

If that worked, it would certainly have been proper to call it a “Secret Technique”.

There was no such thing, however.

I feel pity at this princess’s foolishness and slowly raised my right hand.

“What.”

The princess mutters, surprised, a stupid look on her face as she thought she’d just commanded me to move.

She seems to think this “Hypnosis” has truly worked.

That the princess would even begin to think this made me furious.

I wondered what to think. I decided to give her a shot. I have spare time to kill. I was also curious.

“…”

Oh, I’m wasting my time. I regret doing this. I don’t know what to do now.

“I–”

I don’t know what she will say, but it will be her last.

I will make this pathetic woman die swiftly and painlessly as usual, at least.

I hope the next royal will put up a better fight.

“–like you.”

What.

My arm stops mid-strike.

What is she doing?

“… Ehe. So, can you give me a hug?”

The princess makes an exhausted smile as she puts a hand on my arm, the same one I was just about to kill her with, and tries to stop it from hitting her.

Wait, she’s not doing that.

I cannot do that.

I couldn’t find a way to strike her because the magic power in my arm has dissipated from the distraction.

Very gently, without force, my hand touches the woman’s shoulder.

The shoulders of these short-lived humans were surprisingly small.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When I first came into the throne room, my legs quivered and I could not move.

Part of the reason was that I had exhausted all my strength getting there.

The biggest reason was that I, the Princess Evelyn, saw the Lady Dragon looming before me… and found her so beautiful and cute.

I fell in love at first sight.

I shouldn’t have fallen in love with humanity’s enemy, the Lady Dragon Queen of darkness.

However, it doesn’t matter as my heart is already hers.

I could do nothing, I was killed so fast it was only when I came to at the Basilica of Light that I finally felt it.

That pain in my chest was the first time I’d ever felt anything like it.

And when I realized what it was, my face felt hot and I collapsed once more.

I was in love.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Ehehe, what should I do now…?”

The Princess kneels in front of me, the Lady Dragon, and looks at my face without a single worry.

Her cheeks are slightly flushed, there’s a moistness in her eyes.

When the Princess makes sure we are alone, she explains the effects of the “Hypnosis” she has “put me under”:

One. I cannot harm the Princess.

Two. I will obey her commands.

Three. The effect lasts only for one day.

If there truly was such evil magic, I would be using it myself.

It seemed this Princess has spent a year (a long time to humans, a short time for myself) to learn horrible magic that puts others under her control.

And she thinks this is acceptable. No, it is not acceptable for something like this to be happening!  
“Nfufu…”

However.

I could not help but feel that I had lost my will to fight.

That spell seemed to have kept me from ending her life in an instant.

No, not that.

It wasn’t because of that, but because of two words.

“Oh, that’s right!”

The Princess suddenly shouted as she bounced around, happy look on her face.

What is she going to do this time?

“Your name, tell me.”

“…”

What if I told her?

The Princess carries the future of all humanity on her shoulders; she is standing before, me, her species’ archnemesis; and she believes that she has me at her command.

I took a breath, and said,

“Mallory’ Moors Liez Ryad Beast”

“… Huh?”

“That is my name.”

What am I doing?

I’m giving my name to a Peincess who can barely hurt a fly.

“… Mal.”

The Princess muttered that with a worrying expression, her eyes locked on my face.

The Princess seems to like it, at least.

“Mal.”

I say, letting it roll off my tongue. The princess holds her hands over her chest like she’s forgotten something important.

Was the stress too much for her heart? These short-lived species were so vulnerable to that.

The Light’s protection has disappeared, so now her physical abilities are that inevitable like that of the average human.

“Ah, I’m—I’m Evie. Evelyn White.”  
“…”

“…”

What does she look like she’s expecting something?

I mean it’s not like if you didn't tell me her name every time.

I couldn’t be bothered to remember the names of these short-lived species.

Oh, her eyes.

It’s the first time I’ve seen them gleaming like this, not from fear, hostility, or envy.

I don’t like these eyes. It must have been Light magic or some other spell.

“E… Evie.”

“Huh…!”

I whispered those words, the princess staggered backward, then suddenly found the strength to make a fist and thrust it skyward.

What kind of Princess was she to recover magical power like this?  
Then, she came before me again, put her face right in front of mine.

Too close, you’re too close. I’m going to kill you.

“Say my name again, Mal.”

“…”

Oh, don’t look at me with those sparkling eyes.

How weak does she see me, the strongest dragon of them all, to look at me with such a gaze?

“I like you.”

The words that stopped my arm echo in my mind.

I wonder if this woman spent that whole year learning this suspect spell just to say that.

I wonder if this current situation is just an opportunity to kill me.

If I can see even a little murderous intent or just the tiniest sliver of malice, I will kill her so effortlessly she wouldn’t even notice.

But the Princess before me spoke so honestly when she said “I like you”.

Is that even possible?

“… E-vie.”

My words almost sounded resigned and pathetic at the same time, only audible to the human before me.

Then an offensive spell strikes her from the side, instantly fatal to a human who had lost the protection of the Light.

I witnessed in great detail her flesh getting torn apart, heard her screaming, her crashing into the far wall.

I soon noticed one of my minions standing in front of the doors.

“Your Highness, my apologies. I believe it was inappropriate for me, but the risk was too great.

“… Oh, I see.”

For some reason, the blood splatters on my hand look vividly bright.

I see.

This Princess has been disposed of.

I am unharmed.

“Oh, she’s still breathing.”  
Huff, huff, I could still hear her laboured breaths.

The Princess, half-dead, torn apart, likely to die in a few seconds, looks at me is trying to say something.

“My sincerest apologies, Your Highness. I will eliminate this problem immediately.”

“… I see.”

However, I wonder what this piercing pain in my chest is.

What has this weakest Princess—no longer even the princess—done to my chest?

My loyal minion raises his hand up and harnesses a pure mass of magic.

As with the previous spell, a human being cannot hope to survive it, it will be sure death.

Her laboured breathing gradually grows quieter.

Oh, how pathetic she is! We didn’t even need to finish her off.

“… Oh… Al…”

The spell is cast.

There is no way she will survive, even if we left her alone.

“M… al… I…”

Why did I hear her so clearly?

Her last words pierce my chest:

“Like you.”

I was weak.

My magic was comparable to a regular people of the kingdom.

I had a little more magic power than most humans, but I did not grow that much.

So why did I gain the Protection of the Kingdom?

How many times have I asked myself this?

I did not want to do this.  
However, all those who have been called to become the Royals did not do so of their own will.

I knew this well, so I could not protest.

The demons now control 60% of the world, far surpassing all of humanity.

The way humans can beat the demons who are long-lived, strong and have great magical ability, is through their descendants.

It is said that a wise sage from ancient times developed this technique, of gathering the power of innumerable human beings little-by-little then imbuing them into a single human.

After his death, the Kingdom Clan maintained this technique to ensure humanity could oppose the demons.

The efficiency was tragically poor, but it was massively effective.

They call this forcibly raising a human far beyond all others the “Protection of the Kingdom”, and the one who receives it “the Princess”.

“Oh, were you attacked also?”

The minion who had just killed the princess with his finger bows his head, thinking nothing odd about my actions.

… What am I doing…?

“No one is to enter this throne room unless I call for them.”

“Understood.”

He bowed again and left my throne room.

With only one dying human left, he thought there were no more problems.

However, there was one.

“… Are you still alive?”

There is no reply.

Her breath has stopped.

Her heart is silent.

It was clear the Protection of the Kingdom had left her.

The smell of blood lingers in my nose.

My chest aches.

It’s the first time I’ve experienced such pain.

Ah, it seems this Princess was the strongest Princess after all.

After all, she had hurt me like this.  
Though it was useless, I put my hand on her.

“… I will obey the princess’s commands.”

As I expected, there was no answer.

Aside from the ancient dragons and greater demons, there is hope for revival for the small vessel of one human.

I held her arm and channeled magic into my own.

Oh, that’s right.

This is the first time I’ve ever used reincarnation magic.

“… Blurgh…! Gurk! Gu-hok…!?”

She comes back to life, spewing up blood and vomit.

Her breathing is so erratic, I check her arm and body to see what’s going on.

It’s the first time I’ve used it, but it seemed to have worked just fine.

It seems that this kind of spell is known as “Supreme Level Magic” among the human nations. Its difficulty is well known.

“Ah… I’m…?”

The Princess sat up, her eyes wide, I found myself speechless.

She instinctively put her hands on the floor, she slipped on her own blood and yelped.

“Wait, wait? Dragon…?! What…?”  
However much it hurt me deep inside, it was an expected reaction: “Run away from the Dragon”.

I’ve shot so many humans in their backs as they fled in terror.

The successfully revived and bloody Princess looks up at me, trembling like a newborn fawn.

I turned away from her trembling brown eyes.

“Ah… Mal.”

Ba-dump.

It felt as if she had gripped all three of my hearts.

This was certainly some form of magic.

I ultimately decided it was not a threat as it only affected a third of the target’s body.

The princess’s words eased the pain in my chest.

I’m certain it’s that kind of magic.

“Yes, it was me. I used a spell…”

There may have been temporary memory loss due to the trauma of death and resurrection.  
My healing magic should be flawless, so it was definitely due to death.

I patted my chest.

…?

Why do I feel so relieved and why?

I revived her and now what?

“D-Did you help me, Ma-al?”

The woman’s eyes shine as she looks up at me from the pool of her own blood.

I remember reading somewhere that abandoned puppies have much the same gaze.

With that, I looked away.

“I see… is this an effect of the ‘Hypnosis’…?”

Ah.

My absurd and unacceptable behaviour is probably due to that suspect technique.

As the Dragon of the darkness, I could never revive the princess  
Though it should have been soothed, the pain in my chest does not go away.

What do I call this feeling bubbling up inside me?

I do not know.

I do not know this feeling.

I do not want to know what this feeling is.

The human struggled to stand up, so I held my hand out to her.

With a sigh of relief, she took it with a bloody hand.

It was the same size as mine and felt quite warm as well.

“… Thank you, Mal.”

Why does my face feel hot?

Is the woman’s body heat seeping through our hands now that her heart is beating again?

I can’t seem to take my hand back.

I can’t seem to shake her hand off, either.

I see.

Surely this is just pity for a creature not unlike an abandoned puppy.

It was a desperate technique used by demons with inferior abilities, to make others think they should be protected.  
This Princess must have had such an ability.

Otherwise, she couldn’t have affected me, the Dragon.

In that case.

This pain in my chest is not because of me.

The Woman’s equipment was broken and blown apart, leaving her almost naked.

That fragile body that had been shattered with one blow is left totally exposed.

Her limbs are so weak, I could easily imagine biting them off.

But the Princess did not let go of her firm grip on my hand, even as she returned to her feet.

“My clothes are gone.”

The princess’s cheeks turn red as she gives a voice to my thoughts.

The ensuing silence is heavy and awkward, it seemed impossible to break it.

The Princess, vulnerable without Protection of the Kingdom, easily leaps over such a hurdle.

One step.

One unexpected, impulsive step was all it took to close the distance between us, I could feel our bodies pressed right up against each other.

I can feel the heat of the she’s body.  
I took a step back.

For the first time since I was created in this world, I felt the need to escape.

Without knowing why I took off my cloak.

It was an item that had not been touched by anyone except the Dragon of the past, passed down from generation to generation.

I gave it to she.

“Ah… thank you.”

What am I doing?

Using the Dragon’s Cloak, which neutralizes all physical and magical attacks, just to cover up exposed skin.

And the skin of my archnemesis, the princess, at that.

“… I will obey the Princess’s commands.”

I muttered the words like they were a cheap excuse, but the woman has an unreadable expression.

She was so happy to speak whatever came to her mind, but now her eyebrows are curving down and it looks like she’s about to cry.

I do not understand human emotions.

I’ve never observed them so closely.

“Amazing, it feels so good to wear, huh?”

To hear that from the princess was inevitable considering the shabby equipment she was wearing before.  
The past Royals were equipped with far better armour, but the half-naked princess before me now wore something that they would have balked at the sight of.

I believe this is for the best.

“Hey, Mal?”

“… What is it?”

Why do you make my chest ache when you call my name?

Why do I hesitate to answer when you call my name?

Why do I want you to call my name again?

“Let’s talk.”

The hand that the Princess holds me with makes me suddenly frozen and numb, in spite of all my care and attention.

What does this human want me to do?

I gained the Protection of the Kingdom when I was 10 years old.

Age, gender, and experience have nothing to do with how the Kingdom chooses.

There is no time nor reason for the blessing of immortality to be passed onto the next chosen nor would it ever be known.

They were as young as 3 years old. They were as old as 12 years old.

But even if when is never clear, the Royal will always challenge the Dragon with this power and their undying body.

After all, according to the stories of the Kindom, the only way that the human who walks the line between life and death would ever find rest was through battle.

Back then, I was so certain.

I thought I was the happiest chosen one in the world.

It’s tight.  
Now thoroughly cleaned by my magic, a lock of the human’s blue hair touches the skin of my shoulder.

She leans into my neck, she looks at me with eyes of the same brown, and something inside me cracks.

“What is it… E-evie…?”

She laughs so warmly I thought I might melt, the princess puts her face even closer to my own, I can only wonder what is going through her mind.

I frown at her, but she pulls herself up by my shoulders and brings our faces right in front of each other.

There is no escape on this tiny throne.

“Mal.”

The princess’s eyes sparkle. Her breath is hot.

I felt she would break if I moved even a single muscle, I froze in place.

My emotions run amuck.

Fear. The fear I will break her.

Something. Something I do not understand. Something I do not want to know.

Something. Something I can not understand. Something I do not want to understand.

Impatience. I do not understand what she is doing. I do not understand why she is doing this.

Fear. The fear I will break her.

Something. Something I do not understand. But something I do not hate.

I am the Dragon. I am said to have been the strongest in history.

With that, I close my eyes.  
It’s unfathomable for me to abandon my thoughts and my free will like this.

However, the she’s warm body did not come as close as I expected.

When I took a peek, the Princess was tense, her bangs touching her eyes, her soft lips puckered up.

My body trembled, my cheeks were so hot I thought they were set aflame.

“…”

I am the Dragon, yet I have been cornered.

I saw the Princess quivering from nerves and fear, something inside me began to ache.

This pain is certainly sweet.

But if I let it run free, it might turn into burning venom.

I am the Dragon protectos of darkness, she who has all other demons and creatures under her command.

It is unfathomable to exchange a kiss with a member of the short-lived species.

It is impossible for me to lose to the she before me, the one who has lost the Protection of the Kingdom, who is now so fragile.

The woman’s gaze was unbroken, her lips were relaxed and half-open.

I could not begin to understand what was going on, my own thoughts at that moment.

So it was that an excuse quickly came to mind.

“…”

Our lips touched each other for a moment, a little longer than a blink.

The she’s were so soft and sweet.

But that sweetness was a lie, as I felt a chill running up and down my spine that left me numb.

I will obey the she’s commands.  
Yes, this is due to that suspicious technique.

This is because I have no control over my mind nor my body.

I’ve only obeyed her due to the spell’s effects.

The heat in my cheeks, the haze in my mind, the numbness in my body, and the sweet pain in the pit of my gut are all because of the she.

“… Mal.”

She murmured this with eyes half-lidded, her cheeks red.

Her voice echoes loud inside my mind, I blink slowly.

A mysterious phenomenon has left me breathless, kept my eyes locked on the movement of the she’s lips.

What did I just do?

The reason for my actions and its implications were clear, but I refused to acknowledge them.

The she’s breath caressed my cheek, her brown eyes were moist as she looked into mine.

The distance between us is growing smaller and smaller.

It’s so slow it’s agonizing.

“Mal.”

She puts a finger on the tip of my nose and blows out a hot breath.

I am paralyzed.

Until now, there was no one who could paralyze the Dragon.

And so it seemed that the Princess before me might have been the Strongest Princess of all.

Even without the Protection of the Kingdom, both her eyes shine bright as she corners me once more.

She looks so happy, I cannot look away.

When I learned that a new Royal had been born, hopelessness washed over me and gripped my heart.

I could not rejoice in being released from this fate.

I knew what it meant.

I could not see her again.

She always kills me in a single blow without a word.

But it’s always so instantaneous, it doesn’t hurt.

It was only after I revived that I would ever feel pain.  
It had become a habit of mine to hug myself as my chest throbbed, I recalled the image of her burned into my mind.

I don’t know why you always welcomed me into your thrown room.

Even if I gave my best, I could not reach it on my own.

I may have just been a way to relieve boredom for you.

I want to see you.

The only one who made me feel like a Princess.

The Protection of the Kingdom leaves slowly.

It was also this gentle when I received it.

I had heard that this is because it does not destroy the body it used to inhabit.

I have one year left.

Nothing will remain of me after this radiant light disappears.

“Tell me about yourself.”

So orders the human as she nestles her head on my shoulder.

This throne which felt too large for one person is now too small.

I still don’t know what this human would do, so happy as to smile, press her body against mine, and relax so completely.

Ultimately, I could not think of what else to do and spoke as requested.

I told her about this Dragon’s boring half-life.

I have never stepped foot outside this territory.

I have lived for over 300 years.

The many Royal that have come here were all killed.

I have never lost once.

And this is the first time I’ve had this kind of interaction with humans.

While I spoke, she held my hand, closed her eyes as she kept her head on my shoulder.

She nodded and smiled, she seemed to be so entertained even though I told several human lifetime’s worths of words in such a short amount of time.

What I thought should have been boring and forgettable instead felt quite strange and made me a little uncomfortable.

I wonder what has happened.

I had always wanted to battle to death.

“You…”  
She said as she held my hand, interlaced her fingers in mine, clearly no longer listening to my stories.

I felt so many emotions in that touch.

I ignored all of them or pretended not to notice, and continued speaking.

“… what do you want to say?”

She grips my hand more strongly, she makes her order for me to answer clear as day.

I can understand without looking at her expression. It seemed this human can easily communicate her desires.

So then.

What do I want to say so badly?

I let out a little sigh and asked,

“… Evelyn, why did you come here?”

If she was a Royal, there was only one answer to this question:

To defeat the Dragon.

A Royal who carries the future of all of humanity on their shoulders all by themselves.

However, the princess sitting next to me, the human who has lost the Protection of the Kingdom, the princess who still laughs so warmly answers differently.

“To see you.”

I was expecting those words, but I cannot just leave it at that.

Before I knew it, the pain inside my chest disappeared.

“You’ve seen me many times.”

“Mhm.”

Each time, we only spoke one word.

She has visited me many times, died in an instant, then was revived in the distant human territories.

She was weak.  
“I still wanted to see you”

For one last time. As the Princess muttered those words, I couldn’t think of what words to say back.

Since the Protection disappeared, I thought that she was only preparing to die.

How much thought did she put in those words?

I did not know.

“Are you the Florian Kingdom?”

The voice was so cold, it was enough to freeze a man to the core in spite of the hot sunny day.

This kingdom was at the heart of the human territory’s most prosperous land.

The intruder had appeared right in the Basilica of Light–magnificent and fortified like a castle–without any prior warning.

It was unprecedented.

The Dragon of Darkness, the strongest one in all of history, had come directly and alone.

“… Hmph. Short-lived species are so weak.”

They had the wisest sages collected from all over the world, the paragons among magicians, but not a single one of them could speak.

The Dragon looked like a young lady, but with just those words and a wave of magic power radiating from her, she had completely broken their spirits.

The difference between them cannot even be measured.

They cannot fathom the size, simply despair in the face of it.

They did not have a sliver of an idea of what they were up against.

“It’s a well-thought-out plan, for humans.

“By making the Royal an object of worship, you can siphon other human’s magic.

“The skies shine bright as the truth is shrouded in darkness.”

So the Dragon said as she flew to the center of the Basilica, casting dark shadows beneath her.

The shadows grew in size then exploded.

Three tall, blue-skinned demons appeared.

“I ordered you not to follow.”

“We apologize, Your Highness. But we also wished to see it.”

The creatures turn their backs to the human wizards and kneel before the Dragon with bowed heads.

They were completely defenseless in the heart of the enemy territory, but the magicians did not dare lift a finger.

They were paralyzed.

The demons that had appeared from the shadows were a more, dire familiar threat to the humans, than the Dragon who had never once shown herself.

“An ancient secret? What foolishness.”

The Dragon’s gaze was full of contempt.  
The kingdom's members can only watch in confusion.

Why is the Dragon here?

Why did she come directly here with her subordinates?

Why did she know the secret of the Protection of the Light…?

“Do you know of the Princess named Evelyn White?”

Already trying to hold back on their magic, the kingdom could not react to the Dragon’s words.

They feared for their lives.

“So then.”

The Dragon sighed, a very human expression on her face.

“She was strong.”

The Dragon lifts her right hand.

Her minions look up at her in envy, longing, and worship.

She opens her hand then closes it, the humans in the Basilica die.

“This is…”

In the innermost sanctum of a Basicila was a chalice on an altar, prismatic light radiating from it.

This was the culmination of tens of centuries of work by the Light Clan: pure magic crystals.

Even with the power of hundreds of millions of human beings combined, the hero was too weak.

They were without question sacrifices.

To be able to receive and harness the magical power of the world: that was who they called the “Princess”.

The vessel was secondary. As was the “Revival”.

Filtration is the removal of impurities mixed in with another substance.

Impurities gather in the vessel forcibly infused with this “Supreme Control Magic” they called the “Protection of the kingdom”.

When the impurities become too much, they simply prepare the next filtration vessel.

It was empowering humans then throwing them away when they were no longer useful.

Even if it was incredibly inefficient magic, it was the best option they had.

“What do you wish to do, Your Highness? This seems to have some use still.”

For the demons, the Protection was the perfect substitute for harvesting the magical power of humanity.

If the Deragon corrupted it, it may even be possible to deprive all humans of magical power and kill them in one swoop.

“I have no need for this.”

So the Dragon murmured as they picked up the chalice then threw it away without a second glance.

The Dragon Queen disappeared into a shadowy void, her minions knelt, bowed their heads, then disappeared into the blackness as well.

At a glance, the bodies of young humans lay on the Basilica’s floor, positioned so the light from the windows would always shine on them.

No one witnesses them rapidly begin to pale and wither away to nothing.

“I’ve returned.”  
My voice echoes in the empty throne room.

No one answers.

A girl lies limp on a too-large throne.

Wrapped up in the mantle that had been passed down for generations, she appeared to be asleep.

I pressed my lips to the empty chalice and tilted it back.

Such pure and clear magical power felt incredibly unpleasant to absorb.

I drank all of it then tossed the chalice aside.

With the sound like gushing water, hundreds of magical spells are infused and activating inside my body.

The air trembled from all the magical power now radiating from my body.

What was eating away at the princess’s body couldn’t be stopped by the power of the Lady Dragon.

It was neither poison, nor a curse, nor a wound.

It was not just death, as the Protection of the Kingdom had distorted her mortality, so there was no point in healing magic.

So, for the first time, I wished for power.

“I will obey your commands.”

The spell I was casting was by my hand, for just one purpose.

I knelt in front of the throne and touched the she’s cheek.

She was not breathing.

Her skin was cold and rough.

“Evie.”

I put my lips to her dry, half-open mouth.

The humans who lost the Protection no longer had the means to fight against the darkness.

Although the demon’s campaign was slow, the humans still sought peoples when they could not hold onto their territories.

“Mourn the Fallen Royals, for you will never create a Royal again!”

So were the words of the Dragon, spread to all of humanity.

And so it fell on the “Last Princess” to protect the human territories.  
The fervor against the demons was massive.

The people thought that the Dragon feared the Last Royal.

However, they became silent as word spread that an uninhabited castle was wiped off the face of the earth with but a single blow.

The Dragon Queen offered a pact.

For the humans that thought it was impossible to even speak with the demons, this first and last agreement had sweeping changes.

Though the fighting did not completely stop, there was much less bloodshed, villages and towns were no longer wiped off the face of the land.

And an era of relative peace began, long in the eyes of the humans, short in the eyes of the demons.

She blinks as a strange light fills her chest.

Her mouth quivers as her cheeks regain their colour.

A muffled sigh is trapped in her chest, she couldn’t breathe for a moment.

“… Wha…?”

A line of drool drips down the side of her half-open mouth.

The Princess sat up and wiped it off with the cloak wrapped around her.

“Huh…? I’m…?”

The light returned to her golden eyes, she focused them on the image of the Dragon Queen before her.

“So we meet again.”

The Princess stiffens from the stern look I am giving her.

Tears spilled from her now-open eyes.

I waited patiently as her she struggled to make words with her trembling lips.

“Mal… why?”

Even though her body should have been dead and limp.

The Princess hugged herself as she choked out those words, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I’m… I’m alive…”

The Mal’s cloak that nullifies all attacks is now being used to wipe up tears.

As I watched the teardrops falling on the throne, I felt something swelling up inside me.

Something warm that I could have never felt by myself.-

“… Why did you save me?!”  
The Princess shouted those words, I found I could not react.

So many emotions played out on the Evie’s tear-stricken face, it seemed impossible for me to tell what she was feeling.

“It would have been troublesome if you died so easily.”

My answer was a pitiful excuse.

At my words, she leans forward.

“… That seems quite strange to me.”

Evie was looking at me suspiciously through her tears before she let out a hearty laugh.

Her expression was changing so fast, I found it difficult to figure out what to say.

“Until I solve the mystery of your secret technique, I cannot let you die.”

It was a terrible excuse.

As soon as the words left my lips, I deeply regretted it, but nothing more would come out.

To let out the feeling that swelled up inside me, I would have to level one or two mountains.

The mantle slips from the human’s shoulders, revealing smooth, white skin.

Evie slowly lifted her arms, baring her modest, naked chest.

She smiles, but her tears have not stopped.

The Evie’s wrists shimmer with a pale blue light.

She raises her arms and crosses them, the light fades without any lingering effects.

“Phew.”

The Princess wipes her forehead before she lowers her arms, looked at me, and stood up with a mischievous expression.

… What did she do this time?

After all, nothing in my body had changed.

“I have another secret technique.”

It has not worked.

It seemed to be similar to the Hypnosis.

Perhaps she tried to dispel the technique again instead of casting it again.

The woman looks at me and speaks.

Her tears have stopped.

“Is there a way for you to love me?” she asked.

“… Haha.”

I have to let out a laugh. Because:

“I already do.”


End file.
